I was honored to present at the Indiana Library Federation Conference last weekend in Muncie, Indiana. What a fabulous group of literacy leaders and grand advocates for reading!
Thank you to Mr. Bateman from Performing Arts Photography, Indianapolis, IN and the ILF Conference Committee for the new headshot. You made me look good!
Day One of the ILF Youth Services Conference was a whirlwind ride of learning, fun, and meeting new people. Shifa Saltagi Safadi, author of Kareem Between (National Book Award Winner), was the keynote speaker and she was fabulous, funny, and unforgettable.
I brought my passion for reading and sharing lesson ideas that meet state standards to Day Two. You know me! I believe that “Picture Books are Perfect for Middle School” and I can prove it. (LOL)
John David Anderson, a favorite middle-grade author, showed us how storytelling provides a way for us to connect; our stories are perfect for sharing. (Riley’s Ghost was one of our “Battle of the Books” titles last year.)
When I returned home, I had to recover. So much learning and thinking packed into two days! I cannot wait until next year.
Reading Teacher Writes 
Bravo 🙌🏼 I love that you spoke about picture books being perfect for middle and high school teachers! This was a passion of mine as well when I was the reading specialist at my K-8 school in Chicago. I left for Colorado in 2016 and am now retired. It’s an excellent way to introduce so many concepts in science and social studies and they align perfectly with state standards. It also allows all students to begin at the same point before they start grade level texts which often need so much scaffolding. I gave a presentation on this for a group working with adult literacy learning in Colorado.
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